Common mistakes in IGCSE exams and how to avoid them

Most marks are not lost because a student does not know the topic. They are lost on a handful of habits that show up again and again across the paper. Fix these and your grade often moves up without learning anything new.

Below are the common IGCSE exam mistakes we see the most, with a simple fix for each. They apply across Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Read them once now, then check yourself against them every time you practise.

1. Not answering the command word

Every question starts with a command word: state, describe, explain, calculate, compare. Many students read the topic, then write everything they know. The examiner only gives marks for what the command word asks.

If the word is describe, say what happens. If it is explain, give the reason why. A describe answer in an explain question scores almost nothing, even when it is correct. Underline the command word before you write a single line.

2. Ignoring the marks for each question

The number of marks tells you how much to write. A 1 mark question wants one clear point. A 4 mark question wants four. Writing a paragraph for 1 mark wastes time. Writing one line for 4 marks throws away three.

3. Skipping the working in Maths and Science

Final answers carry only some of the marks. The rest are method marks for showing your steps. A student who writes only the answer and gets it wrong scores zero. A student who shows the working and slips at the last step still picks up most of the marks.

Always write each step, even when you can do it in your head. It costs a few seconds and protects you when a small slip happens.

4. Rounding too early

Rounding in the middle of a calculation drags the final answer off. Keep full figures on your calculator until the very end, then round once. In Maths and Physics this single habit saves marks on almost every multi step question.

5. Forgetting units and final answers

A number with no unit is often marked wrong. Newtons, metres per second, grams, degrees: the unit is part of the answer. Get into the habit of writing the unit every time, and circle or box your final answer so the examiner cannot miss it.

6. Misreading the question

Under time pressure it is easy to read increase as decrease, or to miss the word not. Slow down for two seconds on the key word. A quick reread of the question after you answer catches most of these slips.

7. Poor time management

Spending fifteen minutes on one hard question and leaving three easy ones blank is the fastest way to lose a grade. Use the rule of roughly one minute per mark, and if a question stalls you, move on and come back. Easy marks later in the paper are worth the same as hard marks early on.

8. Leaving blanks

A blank scores zero for certain. A sensible attempt might pick up a method mark or a lucky point. In multiple choice there is no penalty for a wrong answer, so never leave one empty. Always write something.

9. Not learning from the mark scheme

The mark scheme shows the exact words examiners reward. Students who read mark schemes start writing in the style that scores. After every practice paper, mark your own work against the scheme and note where your wording fell short.

10. Practising by reading instead of doing

Rereading notes feels productive but rarely moves a grade. Exams test whether you can answer questions under time, so that is what you should practise. Active, marked practice beats passive reading every time.